conversation. thank for watching i'm stephanie sy. the news continues next live from doha. have a great day. ♪ >> announcer: this is al jazeera. hello, and welcome to the al jazeera news hour. i'm martine dennis in doha with the world's top news stories. the united nations security council unanimously adopted a resolution to identify those who used chemical weapons in syria. massive car bomb explodes in kabul. 15 are killed and hundreds are injured. they are all civilians.

plus -- >> i'm florence looi in myanmar where villagers now have the task of rebuilding their homes and salvaging their farmland destroyed by the flooding. >> reporter: a sport invented in canada nicknamed murder board, makes its debut at the para-olympic pan-am games. ♪ the united nations security council has unanimously adopted a resolution to identify those behind chemical attacks in syria. an agreement reached between the united states and russia paved the way for the resolution to pass. attributing responsibility for poison gas attacks in syria could pave the way for action by the security council. the council has threatened

consequences for such attacks which could include sanctions. the syrian ambassador responded. >> translator: syria has upheld its commitments to the convention and resolution 2118 of 2013. [ inaudible ] has cooperated in all ways and positively dealt with this issue. all of this in spite of the ter shl challenges of an extremely challenging and complex security situation. this is a result of the positions of enemy of certain regional and international parties. >> all right. let's go to our correspondent who has been monitoring events at the u.n. security council for us. a very rare moment it seems, gabriel, we're having a unanimous resolution on syria, and no vetoes or interventions to obstruct it from the permanent members.

>> that's absolutely right. the u.n. is often an organization that is very good at pointing out what the problems are, but often more hesitant to point blame on who was responsible. now the u.n. security council trying to change that with this unanimous vote and it's important and very significant on multiple levels because it will be the first time that there has ever been an investigative body that will take up work looking at who is responsible for those chemical attacks in 2013. it's important to note the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons an organization based at the hague and works closely with the underunhas already said that all signs point to the fact that chemical weapons were used. but that organization did not have a mandate to point any sort of blame, and that has been a point of contention and that's why the united states primarily has been working behind the scenes for many months now to

come up with this resolution that was unanimously drafted and just recently got the support of russia. let's here from u.s. ambassador to the u.n. samantha power on what she had to say moments ago in the security council chambers. >> until we adopted today's resolution there was no mechanism to take the obvious next step determining who was involved in such attacks. even when there were obvious signs pointing to the parties responsible, investigators were not empowered to point the finger. pointing the finger matters. imagine for a moment if we asked an investigative team to determine whether certain atrocities occurred such as rapes, tortures or executions, but did not ask that team to determine who was involved in such brutal attacks. as we all know that ties the perpetrator to the action and that is essential to accountability and helping

prevent future abuses from occurring. >> you heard a little bit of what the syrian ambassador to the u.n. had to say, but i want to also say a little bit more. he was offered to give some comments and he started by actually pointing out that it was the united states that first used nuclear weapons in japan, sort of a jab at the united states there, but he also again reaffirmed that the syrian government has nothing to do in his words, with these chemical attacks. he said they would cooperate fully in the investigation. but it is going to be a difficult investigation. the facts are very much in dispute. the situation on the ground in syria is very difficult, so it will be now left up to this investigative committee to start their work to figure out who is really responsible for this. >> and at this stage, gabriel, do we have any idea as to when this investigative committee

will begin its work. is it already formed or is it due -- people are due to be appointed to it? >> the time line is pretty aggressive, at least for the start of it. it will now go to ban ki-moon who will have 20 days to come up with any recommendations on how this investigative body will be set up. after they begin their work they will have 90 days to present their first report. that doesn't necessarily mean that that will be the final report. it will just been the initial findings that they have up until that point. so we're looking at months away at least until we start to hear from this body? it could be longer than that as well. it took the opcw over a year just to do their fact finding to actually figure out that they said that there were chemical weapons used in syria, so pointing blame will be much more controversial, much more difficult, so again, it will be

months at least until we hear. >> okay. gabriel, thank you very much indeed. we stay with the syrian situation, because there seems to be signs that the syrian government is looking for some kind of diplomatic way to end the war. now it's foreign minister has paid a rare visit to the gulf for the first time in four years. he met his ammonny counterpart. syrian state news agencies said the pair talked about constructive efforts to end the war. he has a history of relations with syria's close ally iran. and activists in syria reporting that isil has kidnapped 230 civilians including 60 christians. they were taken in the town in homs province.

isil captured the town overnight from syrian government forces. many of the christians were there seeking refuge after fleeing flighting further north in aleppo province. let's go to iraq now and several protests are planned across the country within this hour we believe as anger mounts against the government. iraqis are demanding action over a lack of basic services including clean water. many say the country's tap water is undrinkable. they are also frustrated by repeated blackouts especially during the current heat wave. power shortages have plagued the country for years. demonstrators blame the government for poor public services and say iraq's oil wealth is being misspent through wide-spread corruption. they are also concerned about falling fuel prices and job security. analysts say iraq is struggling to attract foreign investment

and to diversify a way from oil. joining us on the line from the city of basra is the chairman of the parliamentary block. what are you saying to these thousands of people a growing number every day in iraq who are demonstrating against the poor conditions in which you and your government are expecting them to live? >> well take you very much. and good evening. it is very clear that those people who are demonstrating for basic services because as they claim the successive governments have failed to deliver the basic services for people and the situation now is [ inaudible ] because the temperature is very hot and certain areas are deprived of water and electricity. the situation in [ inaudible ]

is also deteriorating as far as the security situation is concerned, and we do know very well that the government is facing very big challenges starting with isil and the falling prices of the oil, that makes the iraqi economy also unable to face these big of challenges. >> what kind of pressure -- sorry to jump in there. but what kind of pressure is your block in parliament -- what kind of pressure are you bringing to the government. because clearly people are very dissatisfied and it sounds as though with good reason. >> there are three ministers representing our block in the cabinet. we agreed that the performance of [ inaudible ] has not reached the expected level that people would like to -- to see, and we feel that although they are giving their best but the

demands are very high and the situation, as i said is deteriorating, so we don't expect the government to work miracles in the situation. however, we said that we are cooperative with abadi's government if he would like to have our ministers or even -- there are some other blocks who said that their ministers will deliver their [ inaudible ] that the -- the cooperation of these ministers will solve the problem. >> it sounds very much as though drastic action needs to be taken at this particular moment. you are experiencing record temperatures aren't you? we're talking about possibly 60 degrees centigrade down where you are. what kind of dramatic action do you think needs to be done? for instance buying in power that clearly the government as it stands isn't able to provide. >> well i think the government cannot solve these problems

because the problem of power has been with iraq since 2003 even before that even during saddam's time. it was a consistent problem, because most of the infrastructure of iraq was destroyed by the coalition forces when there was a war in iraq the american coalition. the problem is these three governments that have ruled iraq since 2003, have not succeeded in solving this problem, the problem of power. that's why people are accusing the government of not bringing those people to accountability in the previous ministry. they say they failed to provide power or to succeed in providing power for people. why should they continue on their course. so this is one way to persuade people that this government -- they can divide iraq is to bring people into accountability.

so ask those corrupted ministers, why you have failed to provide basic services that people are expecting. people are asking where is their money? it's the government's role to answer these questions, and put an end to the corruption to practice pressure on the parties who have -- haven't suggested or assigned ministers who are incapable of running their ministry, and even solving the problems -- the previous problems that were inherited by the former government. >> all right. thank you very much indeed for taking the time to talk to us here on al jazeera. three people have been killed and ten others have been wounded in a four-hour gun fight between police and kurdish fighters in southeastern turkey. violence has flared between the two groups in recent weeks, wrecking an already fragile peace process. one of the towns at the center

of the conflict is where bernard smith now reports. >> reporter: evening is usually the busiest time of the day here. as the sunsets the streets would fill with shoppers. the cafes come alive with gossip. but this kurdish town is in the middle of a nout break of fighting between turkish security forces and the separatists-kurdistan worker's party, the pkk. the major from the democratic party fears a return to the 1990s when the turkish military launched a major crack downon pkk havens here and in iraq. >> this is like a ghost town. now the shops have started closing early. people are anxious about what is happening. they dare not go out. there isn't a soul around at night. >> reporter: on some nights the security forces battle the pka affiliated youth groups young

men and women who might once have gone to the mountains as pkk fighters. turkish security forces are burning positions in forests. it's part of what the turkish government says is a brood offensive against all threats to its security including isil and the pkk. dotted across these mountains you can see areas where smoke is rising. that's where there has been fighting between the turkish military and the pkk. a spokesman for turkish president says that these renewed assaults on the pkk are in self-defense. he says that despite promises made in the peace process, the pkk has failed to disarm. the mayor told us that knock on almost any door here and you will find someone connecteded to the pkk a group listed as a terrorist organization in the u.s. europe and turkey.

this man has one son in jail and a second in the mountains. >> translator: it's better not to fight. look even the pkk sometimes say it's better to make politics. they want to find a solution with a pen, not by using guns but if you keep killing, i also have to show my fists. >> reporter: attacks blamed on the pkk have killed at least 16 members of the turkish security forces. here a roadside bomb killed three soldiers. the increase in violence is raising fears of a return to a conflict that claimed 40,000 lives over 30 years. bernard smith, al jazeera, southeastern turkey. still to come on this al jazeera news hour. the times they are a changing in north korea at least as the government announces the creation of its very own time zone. and it's not a sweet life in beehives these day. we'll tell you about germany's green mission to help the bee

population stay above. >> china. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: and in sport, china has been named the host of the 2019 basketball world cup. details coming up in a little while with suna. now fighters in central mali have attacked an hotel. the hotel is often used by pilots who work with the united nations peace-keeping mission in mali. a powerful truck bomb has killed at least 15 people and injured more than 240 others in afghanistan. it happened close to an army compound in the capitol kabul. this is the fourth attack in afghanistan in two days. jennifer glass now reports. >> reporter: the explosion was so big it could be heard all

around the capitol. this man says he was at home in bed when the truck exploded across the street. >> translator: most of the people were injured with flying glass. there was glass everywhere. everything was full of dust and smoke. they put me in a car and brought me here. it was a very bad explosion. >> reporter: he said the blast in the middle of the night didn't differentiate between rich and poor. the dead and injured were mainly civilians, hospitals were inundated. >> i'm here since quite long time and i never seen something like that. it was no stopping of people coming and coming and coming. we were afraid at a certain point we could not manage anymore. >> reporter: the united nations recently said civilian casualties are at a record high with nearly 5,000 afghans killed or injured in the first six months of this year. for afghan security forces the

losses are even higher with more than 11,000 dead and injured in the first half of 2015. there's been renewed violence across afghanistan at a delicate political time. taliban tease talks were derailed last week after the taliban announced the death of its leader. they are now divided over who should succeed him. the president has called it once of the worst attacks ever against civilians. jennifer glas al jazeera, kabul. a gang armed with machetes has hacked a secular blogger to dout in bangladesh. he is the fourth blogger to be murdered there since the start of the year. he was killed after the gang broke into his apartment that's according to the bangladesh blogger and activist network. he was critical of religion. flood warnings are in place in myanmar's southern delta region. the president is urging people in low-lying areas to move to

higher ground but in some parts of the country flood waters are beginning to rescreed. florence looi reports. >> reporter: this is what greeted this man when he returned home after the flood waters receded. buried under the debris is what used to be his house in a village in the west. >> translator: i was poor but now i have nothing left. even my house is no more. >> reporter: some 40 other homes in this village have also been damaged. >> translator: at first the water kept coming slowly slowly, then all of a sudden it was very high. >> reporter: but there are no fatalities here because monks from a nearby monastery sent boats to ferry people no safety. floods are common during the monsoon season but this is the worst they have experienced.

there are similar scenes of destruction along the road and people think it will take them months before they can clear the debris. the army has been deployed to help in some areas, but their equipment is basic. the floods have affected more than a million acresover farmland. there is a concern there may be a shortage of rice. this woman and her husband are farmers. their small warehouse was sub merged they are trying to salvage stock. >> translator: we don't have enough food. my fields have been destroyed and now i'm in debt. >> reporter: local groups national ngo's and the government have been distributing relief packs. food and more critically clean drinking water. but in this village, aid hasn't yet arrived. access by road was only reopened

the day before. the people here say they need help and they need it soon. florence looi al jazeera, myanmar. and myanmar's opposition leader warning the government not to use the floods to undermine the upcoming general election. she pointed to a controversial 2008 referendum which was overshadowed by a cyclone, and raised questions about the validity of its results. north korea has announced the creation of its own time zone. next week clocks there will go back 30 minutes. the government says it eradicates the legacy of japan's colonial rule over what was once a united korea. >> reporter: the special announcement was made on state television.

next week north korea will follow it's own unique time zone. north and south korea have maintained the same time as japan, since the country's control of the peninsula. >> translator: japanese imperialist committed such impardonable crimes while trampling down its land and 5,000 year long history. >> reporter: during the rule vast numbers of koreans were forced into the japanese army and others were put into slave labor. the time change is being seen as a snub to japan. it's unusual for a country to change its time but it does happen occasionally. in 2010, russia reduced its number of time zones from 11 to 9, improving business across his vast territory. and the polynesian island

changed its time zone and moved its date forward by the day. but the changes are worrying south korea. the decision could disrupt the jointly run industrial plant. north and south korea already share the world's most heavily fortified border some believe turning back the clock could hurt future efforts. contenders vying for the u.s. presidential domination have held their first debate. donald trump reinforced his reputation for bold talk by holding out the threat of running as a independent if he fails to be nominated. tom akerman reports from cleveland, ohio. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: the crowd of 5,000 republicans expected sparks as the ten top polling contenders took the stage.

donald trump did not disappoint the only one refusing to rult an independent campaign if he loses the republican race. >> you can't say tonight that you can make that pledge. >> i cannot say -- >> when donald trump started off saying he would not pledge to support the republican nominee, you heard the crowd reaction. a lot of people will be asking do you get to play in our party if you don't agree to play by the rules. >> reporter: he went on to repeat his charges that mexico deliberately sent its criminals aboard the border. >> border patrol people that i deal with that i talk to they say this is what is happening, because our leaders are spew tid. >> reporter: his come pattive tone drew an indirect rebuke from jeb bush. >> we're not going to win by dividing the country. >> i'll tell you -- >> reporter: there were a few flashes of race tempers when new

jersey governor clashed with rand pall over the fight against secret government surveillance of american's phone records. >> you know, what we do in order to get the information that we need is our business and i wouldn't necessarily be broadcasting to everybody what we're going to do. >> reporter: between now and the next debate in september, at least one of the weakest performing candidates will have dropped out, and by then we'll have a much better sense of whether donald trump was just a flash in the pan or the man to beat for the nomination. we have got a lot more to come on the al jazeera news hour including -- >> i'm jonah hull in norway. four years on the political youth camp reopens in part as a living memorial to the dead.

and the japanese tennis sensation continues to impress in the washington open. all of the details coming up in sport.

>> there's a line of police advancing toward the crowd here. >> ferguson: city under siege. >> it isn't easy to talk openly on this base. >> and america's war workers. >> it's human trafficking. >> watch these and other episodes online now at aljazeera.com/faultlines. ♪

you are with al jazeera. i'm martine dennis and these are our top stories. 15 people have been killed in a suicide attack in afghanistan's capitol, kabul. police say the bomb was hidden in a truck. the u.n. security council has unanimously adopted a resolution to identify those who used chemical weapons in syria. an agreement reached between the united states and russia could have paved the way for the resolution to pass. activists are reporting isil fighters have kidnapped 230 civilians, including 60 christians. they were taken in homs province when isil captured the town from syrian government forces. okay we can talk a little bit more about the current situation in syria, and

regarding syria, by going live to washington, d.c. and talking to a member of the syrian opposition. thank you for taking the time to talk to us. first of all, can i get your thoughts on this unanimous passing of a resolution in the u.n. security council, which aims to bring to account any party found guilty of using chemical weapons in syria? >> first thank you for having me. i think this is very important step. this is the first resolution has been passed which has some meaning. unfortunately it should have been passed two years ago, since because a week from now we will have the second anniversary of the use of the chemical attacks where actually by the assad government which left more than 1400 has been killed. and for -- but even that the security council resolution being passed today, it only talk

about identification process, does not mention any accountability process. this is why if actually the new mechanism are going to identify the party responsible of using the chemical weapons, then they have to come back to the security council to issue -- to look for other security council resolution and they are short of seven to put some accountability or teeth in the resolution but that is maybe a high possibility for russia and maybe china to veto again. >> nonetheless can we look at the unanimity, which as you pointed out is extremely rare. why has the unanimity come about? cause it be the result of the successful meeting between john

kerry and sergei lavrov? >> exactly. it's because of the division between the security council, any understanding or compromise or reconciliation between both parties will end up in resolution. but russia and china vetoes three times against any security council resolution criticized the assad government or would show accountableable or even that crimes against humanity have been happening in syria. this is why i hope they can build for that to look for other security council resolution, because this does not solve the syrian crisis. it is only attacking one of the issues with the use of chemical

attacks, but does not solve the us krim -- indiscriminate killing of civilians. >> what do you make of the foreign minister making this rare visit to ammon, meaning with his ammonny counterpart, and suggesting some fairly constructive language insofar as -- suggesting that they are looking for some kind of political way out of the conflict? add to that president assad recently admitting that the syrian armed forces are maybe not up to full strength. >> everyone knows that in the last four years there was secret negotiations or secret communication between moscow and the assad government in damascus. we know they are very close to the iranian perspective into the issue in -- in syria, and they don't share the same attitude regarding saudi arabia or qatar to the syrian revolution.

and this is why this visit does not come as a surprise as maybe something has been prepared between bahrain and [ inaudible ] to ensure. but how does that reflect on the ground? i don't think the language that they are using in every capitol that we are still fighting against terrorists they don't admit the humanitarian crisis the civil war that syrian get in and more than a quarter million lost their lives, 4 million refugees now in other countries, and the same number displaced. at soon as the assad government admits the crisis inside syria right now, i think that is the first step to talk about the geneva communique. >> thank you for sharing your thoughts with us here at al jazeera. thank you. a youth camp in norway has

reopened for the first time since a gunmen killed 69 people there four years, the right-wing nationalist carried out the attack, and many victims were teenagers. jonah hull is at the camp. the staffers and campers gather to remember the dead. >> reporter: this person survived the attack four summers ago. >> i was convinced that i was going to die. so i just sat by the water and was waiting for him to come back to shoot me again or just die because of blood loss. ♪ >> reporter: now she and a record number of labor party youth are back as the camp reopens. it's an overcast day not unlike the friday when the gunman strolled through in police uniform firing automatic weapons. his killing spree claimed 69

young lives. earlier a car bomb outside of the government building in oslo killed eight people. >> it was very good to come back and feel -- the feeling that i had before hasn't changed. it's just normal summer camp for me. >> reporter: you still want to be in the future perhaps a politician with the labor party in this country. why? >> yeah it's -- because of all of our values what we do what we believe in. so it's important to have something to fight for. >> reporter: four years on this camp has come alive again. the young political aspirants enjoying something of the sunshine, to debate the issues of the day and plans to have the occasional romantic tryst in the forrest over there. except this is now in part a living memorial to the dead.

but many insist norway is not a country looking back. this man speaks to me from the editorial offices of vg newspaper in oslo. >> some terror attacks change the world or change a country, like 9/11. but this terror attack has been absolutely meaningless. it hasn't really changed anything in norway. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: here they are once again celebrating norway's multi-cultural heritage. perhaps the ultimate rebuttal is the new youth leader a young norwegian born in syria. now u.s. companies added 215,000 new jobs in july. that's slightly more than the monthly average so far this year. the unemployment rate stayed at 5.3%.

but average hourly earnings rose slightly. these figures suggest that employers are confident that the six-year climb can sustain demand. but there is a slightly different picture, one of growing inequality. u.s. public companies will be forced to calculate how much top executives earn in comparison with their average employee. 50 years ago, usceos earned about 20 times what their typical employee brought home. but by 2014 the boss was earning about 300 times more than the average unskilled worker in the sometime company. another analysis shows it takes a typical worker at both mcdonald and starbucks more than six months to earn what each company's ceo makes in one hour. now supporters of the new rule

say it will promote greater transparency in how profits are distributing against the company. but the companies are lobbying against the new rule saying it is too costly to implement. david is managing director for economic policy at the center of economic progress. he says even though more and more jobs are being created, people are just not earning enough. >> the federal reserve has been making some noise about possibly raising interest rates, but i think it would be a mistake. this jobs report also shows the real weakness in our economy, which is mainly that wages have not been going up for quite sometime. so ordinary workers have been stuck, really -- you know they are typical workers earning the same now as they were in 1989. that's a long period of time to go without a real wage and the

fed should really wait until we have robust wage growth before they think about increasing interest rates. almost all of the gains of our economy has gone to those at the very top. and the key -- the key problem this presents that there's very little demand in our economy. in order for businesses to invest, they need consumers, but when wages are not going up there is little incentive to invest. so this hurts the workers, and really has a chilling effect on the rest of the economy. the u.s. coast guard has released images of a $181 million drug bust. the agency says it seized six tons of cocaine last month from a semisubmersible in the eastern pacific. the vessel was designed specifically for the drug-smuggling trade. it is the largest drug bust of its kind in history. and e.u. ban on best sides

which have been linked to bee deaths is set to expire at thinged -- the end of this year. pesticide manufacturers they are not to blame, but environmentalists disagree. wild honey bees are crucial to the pollination of three quarters of all food crops, but their numbers have been dropping for the past decades. the pesticide was banned after studies linked their used to the bee death. but the companies blame other factors like loss of habitat. and farmers say pests are destroying their crops because they can't use the right chemicals to get rid of them. dominic kane traveled to a farm in a german city to find out how farmers there are protecting their crops, while also trying

to protect bees. >> reporter: erik works on his farm in western germany. the summer months are an important time for him. soon he will have to sew seed in these fields. if he could, he would prefer to use powerful pesticides to protect the growing crop. but in recent years a ban has been introduced on certain types of the pesticide, and others have been examined closely in long-term studies, meaning eric must do without them. >> translator: this is the best option so you have only put the pesticide where you really need it. we show the seeds at the end of august or beginning of september. it sprouts and is from the beginning protected against pests. >> reporter: german farmers talk about using the pesticide as the perfect way. getting the product into the

seedling to protect the plant and deal with the pests. but some scientific studies suggest the effect it has on the bees devastating. >> translator: the bees for get where they come from or where they have to go. they are social insects to have to ensure that they are able to return to their population. they unlearn that under certain circumstances, so in the first instance we see changes of behavior that you see when there are small doses, and if it's too much they die. >> reporter: the chemical firm buyer has manufactured bestsides and fun jsides for many years, it rejects the suggestion that the pesticide are to blame. correctly it has begun labeling some of its products as being safe for bees. they believe the declining populations may be caused by a mixture of factors. >> some findings which were made

on individual bees in the laboratory under artificial conditions have suggested some kind of [ inaudible ] conditions. however, these condition were never found in the field. >> reporter: sop scientists theby's pollinating effect is worth more than $12 billion euros to the german economy every year which explains why a long-term decline in the bee population could have a devastating effect. dominic kane al jazeera. now to find out what kind of wildlife is in your area you can download a new app. now it's called the map of life. it's a free map for smartphones and an international collaboration that took four years to build. jessica baldwin took a closer look. >> reporter: looking for newts

and other pond dwellers. a smartphone map identifies the bugs and amphibians. the map of life app is an international field guide for birds, bugs mammals. enter a location and the app gives you lists, pictures and texts about the natural life around you. but it's not just fiddling on your phone in the park. it's pure science. funders include nasa and yale university. users are encouraged to become citizen scientists reporting what they have seen especially in remote areas where there are gaps in wildlife data. >> they are able to paint an increasingly detailed picture of where is the species now. how is it range being losts and how may it's range fair in the future. >> reporter: the app comes at a critical time because many species are changing fast some

becoming dominant in a region others moving to different areas. >> it tells you what you will see around where you are. >> reporter: armed with constantly expanding mountain of data policy makers can then decide if a project will affect biodiversity. there are more than 35,000 different species on the app, which is available in six languages. they are going to add more languages. they are constantly adding images and sounds to make it easier to identify the different wildlife. people all over the world have downloaded the app. 20,000 so far. scientistings are hoping the ranks will grow. creating a growing army of citizen scientists battling to save diversity. still to come on this al jazeera news hour we'll have the latest on the ongoing doping scandal to hit international

athletics. ♪ ♪ ♪ get excited for the 1989 world tour

with exclusive behind the scenes footage all of taylor swift's music videos interviews, and more. xfinity is the destination for all things taylor swift. ♪ it's time for the sports news. >> thank you very much martine. the world anti-doping agency is set to launch an investigation into recent allegations of doping in athletics, buddies approved on how they have been forced into action. it follows claim made by a british newspaper in a documentary, both outlets gained access to a database containing the results of 12,000 blood

tests from around 5,000 athletes. the sunday times claims there was extraordinary extent of cheating. however, the president stated that his organization demores demores -- deplores the manner in which the data was obtained. [ inaudible ] happened earlier. manchester united will be up against belgium's club for a place in the group stages. there are ten ties in total with the first happening on the 18th or 19th of august. fellow former champion celtic take on their opponent in the root part of the draw. but the league root section, we already heard about united and syria faces their opponent. the french top flight league

gets underway in a few hours with the champions aiming for a fourth straight title. they go into the season opener having completed the signing of the argentine that cost them $69 million. they hope their new recruit can launch them to even more success. >> translator: now i am really confident, and we are approaching our dream. it's going to be difficult, but we will try this year. he will be a big plus for our team. especially because he has already won the champions league with real madrid, and i hope he will win it with us too. a football team from the gaza strip has hosted a team from the west bank as israel granted permission for the players to cross its territory. >> reporter: a simple handshake, sealing a significant step

towards unity. a moment 15 years in the making for the thousands of fans at the stadium. they welcomed west bank opposition to gaza for the first time since 2000. >> translator: this is a step forward, but no matter who wins this match, palestine is the winner. >> translator: we hope this helps in achieving unity. we came from the extreme north to watch. we wish we could go to the west bank to watch those matches. >> reporter: the arrive in gaza brings the hopes much closer. meeting is more than a match, a memorable move towards a single palestinian league. and while both sides had their chances, the game ended 0-0. for once the results have little relevance. >> translator: it was a great experience it is so important for our teams to move between gaza and the west bank. >> translator: this is an

important experience to break the siege imposed on gaza. we want [ inaudible ] to come to the west bank to play. >> reporter: the palestine football association has accused israel of restricting the move of players and officials between its territories. even calling for us is pension of world football. despite the delayed rival due to travel permit problems israel have given the green light the return leg as both teams travel back on friday fans have been given hope for the future. cricket and we're into the final session on day two of the fourth ashes test between england and australia. six wickets are remaining after england declared on 391. the world football governing body granted china the ability

to host the 2019 games. [ inaudible ] advanced to the quarter finals of the washington open in d.c. the japanese is the highest-ranked player in the field after andy murray crashed out. he had no problem against his opponent beating him 6-4 6-4. athletes from 28 countries across the americas are gathering in the canadian city of toronto for the fifth para-pan-am games where the competitors are people with disabilities. well for the first time the sport known as murderball or wheelchair rugby will be featured. daniel lak has more. >> it was 20 years ago, and i was able-bodied working and

having fun playing, and i went head first into the boards playing hockey and became paralyzed from the chest down. >> reporter: the damaged spinal chord ended his days of playing regular ice hockey but he found a replacement. >> murderball was invented right in winnipeg. it was a bunch of quad are mra leejices who were trying to compete with parapa leejices. and they said let's make it full contact. >> reporter: and gleefully as they bash their wheel chairs together, they aren't allowed body contact. each team has players with differing levelss of limb

functions. >> personally i have been playing the sport for four years, never had any serious injuries. you might get your hands pinched a little bit. but i have been fortunate so far. >> reporter: it's top-level athleticism. players spending a lot of time meeting children telling them they can still be part of something physical competitive, and very special. >> yesterday, you know, went to a children's center with all disabled kids and they were a little more disabled so we just sat in a circle and through the ball around but they had huge smiles on. and we would kind of bump into each other. >> reporter: canadians invented the sport and won a lot of medals over the years. they will be going for gold.

>> i think we're the hardest team to prepare for, because we have so much depth and so many strong players, that you can't focus on one thing. and you know you are going to get hit when you have the ball. >> reporter: one thing is gaun gaun -- guaranteed it will be a lively tournament. >> that's it for me. >> thank you very much indeed. jon stewart has hosted his final broadcast of the program the daily show after 16 years. a whole slew of stars joined him for the final show including bruce springsteen, there were messages from john kerry and john mccain, and researches has shown that stewart's program has attached a much younger audience than traditional television news programs.

good-bye jon stewart. lauren taylor is with you next. ♪ ♪ every year. 33,000 are killed. >> to see my child laying on the table. >> what was that total bill from start to now? >> almost like 10 million dollars. >> enough people have decided that the gun lobby has too much power for too long. the nra is not invincible.

is the assad regime behind chlorine gas attacks in syria? the u.n. takes a step closer to finding out. ♪ i'm lauren taylor this is al jazeera live from london. isil fighters accused of kidnapping more than 250 civilians in syria, including women and children. questions over security in afghanistan as massive car bomb kills 14 and leaves hundreds injured. and a summer camp in norway reopens four years after a gunman killed